"Why do people love animation so much?"

Animation has such a rich history. There are many dedicated and highly skilled animators we can thank for the amazing animated films we enjoy today. These talented producers were directly responsible for developing the techniques still in use today.

An animated film is basically the result of stop-frame photography, where an object is drawn or filmed one film frame at a time, moving the object slightly for each new frame. When the developed film frames are projected back (usually at 24 frames per second) the stop-framed objects appear to have motion, or animation.

The early animated frames were drawn by hand, a very time intensive task. Even though animated films, or "cartoons," as they're called, were never specifically aimed at children, they very often do appeal to the younger audience the most. As cartoons developed over the years, companies actually specialized in creating movies more appealing to adults, but the vast majority of films still appealed to kids.

The origin of cartoons can be directly linked to newspaper comic strips as early as 1890. One of the first films developed was French in origin. Emile Cohl's Fantasmagorie (1908 - France) was created from very simple and clownish stick figure drawings.

Winsor McCayAs I mentioned, many talented animators worked hard to develop drawing technology over the years. Winsor McCay (1869-1934) was most likely the very first of these creative artists. He produced comic strips from 1904-1911 which were the genesis for his first animated movies.

A true pioneer of this new "cartoon industry," Winsor McCay worked to invent the very first film animation techniques. Making use of his original comic strip characters, he produced Little Nemo in Slumberland (1911), a hand-drawn 4000 frame cartoon based on his previous comic strip character, as well as How a Mosquito Operates (1912), a cartoon made from 6000 individual frames.

In 1914 he released Gertie the Dinosaur, a 10,000 frame piece which premiered at Chicago's Palace Theater in February of that year. Regarded as the very first successful cartoon, the short film included both live action as well as animation. (another first) The live action was Winsor himself stepping onto Gertie's mouth and then climbing onto Gertie's back for a way cool Dinosaur ride. As you can well imagine, this was an amazing feat for it's time.

In 1918 Winsor McCay produced The Sinking of the Lusitania. Described by some as propaganda, the 12 minute cartoon-documentary was the first historical re-enactment. In this case he was re-creating the sinking of the RMS Lusitania on May 17, 1915 by a German U-Boat, killing 2000 passengers. This film was also an early use of "cel animation," a technique where layers of transparent cellulose acetate are used to create animation frames. Because the "cels" are fully transparent they can be laid on top of each other (especially over painted backgrounds) and photographed to produce one completed frame of animation.

(W)ladislaw StarewiczSoviet Animator (W)ladislaw Starewicz is credited with creating the first three dimensional stop motion films. In 1911 he produced The Grasshopper and the Ant as well as The Cameraman's Revenge. (W)ladislaw is an early master of animation.

John Randolph BrayJohn Randolph Bray (1879-1978), an American Animator, produced many films including the first animated color film, The Debut of Thomas Cat (1920) and The Artist's Dream (1913). He's credited with the first use of cel animation. Yet another animation master.

While Winsor McCay was producing Gertie the Dinosaur Bray learned many of McCay's techniques by posing as a journalist writing a piece on animation. He later patented the techniques and even attempted to sue McCay. Fortunately McCay won the suit and was able to collect years of back royalties from John Randolph Bray.

Felix the CatFelix the Cat, one of the giants of the cartoon world, first appeared in 1919 in Feline Follies and Musical Mews. Felix was called "Master Tom" in these films, and it wasn't until later that year when he earned the name Felix in The Adventures of Felix (1919). Felix the Cat was created by Pat Sullivan Studios and Lead Animator, Otto Messmer. The actual genesis of Felix is in question between Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer, so it's anybody's guess who the "actual" creator is.

Otto Messmer (left) and Pat Sullivan (right) with their famous creation, Felix the Cat

From 1919 to 1921 Felix cartoons were distributed by Paramount Pictures. From 1922 to 1925 the films were then distributed by Margaret J. Winkler. Educational Pictures began distribution of the cartoons after that.

Felix the Cat was one of the well known animation characters that made thejourney from silent film to talkies. Even though Pat Sullivan transitioned Felix the Cat to sound, the effort was not successful. With this failure and the growing popularity of Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Felix the Cat was to be no more. His last film was The Last Life in 1928.

Lotte Reiniger Lotte Reiniger was an Avant-Garde German filmmaker who produced the first animated feature length film. (See Film Terms) Based on the “Arabian Nights” tales, he produced The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)(Germany)(German: Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed). Reiniger employed quite innovative methods such as Silhouette Animation, Wax and Sand on the film stock as well as Multi-Plane Camera Techniques. (See Film Terms) Mr. Reiniger is another motivated soul greatly responsible for advancing animation to what we enjoy today.

Walt Disney with his World Class Star, Mickey Mouse

Walt Disney Just what can be said about Walt Disney? Without doubt, the undisputed King of Animation (with his own Castle(s), PLURAL, to prove it), he started out as an advertising cartoonist for a Kansas City Film Advertising company.

The very first Disney cartoon was Little Red Riding Hood (1922). This was part of the Newman Laugh-O-Grams along with Four Musicians of Bremen (1922).

The Alice Comedies In 1923 the Disney Brothers (Walt and Roy) setup shop in Los Angeles, CA (the Disney Brothers Studio). From 1923 to 1927 they produced the Alice Comedies (Alice in Cartoonland). With 56 episodes in the series, including Alice’s Day at Sea (1924), these shorts consisted of both live action (Alice herself) and a cartoon world.

Oswald the “Lucky” Rabbit Oswald the “Lucky” Rabbit was Disney’s first successful animal cartoon star. Oswald was the star of 24 cartoon shorts distributed by Universal Pictures in 1927. The series included films like Trolley Troubles (1927) and Poor Papa (1927). The movies were all black and white as well as silent. Ultimately the Disneys were forced to relinquish Oswald to Walter Lantz.

Walter Lantz's "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit"(He seems to have been "Lucky" enough to become Mickey Mouse...hmmm?)

Mortimer MouseThe Disney’s moved on to a very important character stepping stone in the overall Disney evolution. The character was Mortimer Mouse, the crude predecessor to Disney’s cartoon superstar, Mickey Mouse. Mortimer, developed initially by VB Iwerks (1901-1971), was basically Oswald the “Lucky” Rabbit without the bunny ears. The word “lucky” in Oswald’s name is at least a little ironic as the truly “lucky” one was Mickey who became the greatest cartoon superstar on the planet! Oswald, on the other hand can only claim a humble place in cartoon development history.

Mickey Mouse Plane Crazy (1928) was the very first Mickey Mouse cartoon ever produced. In the short Mickey tries to impress Minnie Mouse by imitating Charles Lindbergh’s famous solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.

Even though Steamboat Willie (1928) is technically Mickey’s second film, many folks consider this film to be Mickey Mouse’s film debut as well as his birth date (1928). Based on Buster Keaton’s Steamboat Bill (1928), Mickey appears without his classic white gloves and does not speak. Later on Nov 18th of 1928 the film was re-released with sound, and Mickey was re-drawn with his famous four fingered white gloves. Despite the new addition of sound (music and effects), Mickey still does not speak.

The first film where Mickey actually does speak was The Karnival Kid (1929). As a hot dog vendor at the “Karnival,” he shouts “Hot Dogs!” two times. Walt’s voice was used for Mickey’s voice at this time.

The Fleischer Brothers The Fleischer Brothers – Max, Dave, Joe and Lou, (I feel like we’re in a Pep Boys commercial here…) were in serious competition with Disney on the cartoon front. The stakes were high, as in 1917 Max Fleischer invented the Rotoscope, a device that revolutionized the frame copying process b overlaying drawings onto live action film. The Fleischers were also pioneers in the creation of three dimensional (3D) backgrounds for cartoons. Their first feature length film was a ”documentary-animation” called Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (1923).

The Fleischers were also first to produce a series of cartoons with soundtracks when they created Ko-Ko Song Car-Tunes. (Ko-Ko was a flagship character for Fleischer films, a successful clown character introduced in 1919.) These 36 predecessors to Karaoke featured sing-along audience participation complete with the "bouncing ball" which followed along with on-screen lyrics.

Some of the Ko-Ko Song Car-Tunes were Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly? (1926), Comin' Tho' The Rye (1926), My Old Kentucky Home (1926) and By The Light of the Silvery Moon (1927). One of the unique features of these films was an invitation from "Bimbo" (a Fleischer "mouse-like" character) to "Follow the ball and join in everybody!"

The Fleischer Disney Connection There's a very interesting connection between the Fleischer Brothers and Disney, especially in light of the fact that they were such staunch cartoon rivals. Between 1954 and 1973, Richard Fleischer, the son of Max Fleischer, actually directed some of Disney's most successful live action films. In 1954 it was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, an absolute Disney classic. In 1966 Richard Fleischer directed Fantastic Voyage. In 1967 he directed Dr. Dolittle, the very successful franchise that was recently updated quite well by actor-comedian Eddie Murphy. And in 1973 it was the unbelievably classic Soylent Green (SPOILER ALERT!) where "Soylent Green is People!"

The Fleischer Brothers were certainly no strangers to successful cartoon characters. Some they invented, and others they licensed and developed into films.

Ko-Ko The Clown The very first successful Fleischer cartoon character was Ko-Ko The Clown. Beginning in 1919 they produced a series of shorts called "Out of the Inkwell" featuring Ko-Ko.

Another Fleischer character was Bimbo, a "mouse-like" character featured in Paramount's "Talkertoons" from 1929 until 1932. Bimbo's success would soon take a second seat to Fleischer's next and arguably most successful cartoon character.

Fleischer Brothers' Ko-Ko the Clown

Introducing Miss Betty Boop In 1930, based on an amalgum of Mae West and Clara Bow's "It" girl, Betty Boop was an adorable but adult oriented "vamp" character who wore a strapless gown with visible garter belts. (yes...cartoon sexy...)

Her first appearance was in a Bimbo "Talkertoon" called Dizzy Dishes (1930) where she was a long eared puppy dog. Her next appearance, where she was first called "Betty", was 1931's Betty Co-Ed. She was first named "Betty Boop" in Silly Scandals (1931) where the title is meant to be a spoof of Disney's "Silly Symphonies". In this film Betty's dress keeps falling down as she sings "You're Driving Me Crazy". Betty's first screen credit as "Betty Boop" occurs in 1932's Stopping the Show.

The Fleischer's "Flagship" characters, Betty Boop & Koko the Clown

Betty Boop appeared in quite a few cartoon shorts from 1932 until 1939. Some notable films would be Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle (1932), Boop-Oop-A-Doop (1932), Minnie the Moocher (1932) and Snow White (1933). This was the first adaptation of a Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale in animated form. Miss Boop also gladly appeared (she was said to be very pleasant to work with...) in Betty Boop's Rise To Fame (1934) and Poor Cinderella (1934). Poor Cinderella was Betty's first film produced in color. Betty's hair is red in the film. In Riding the Rails (1938) Betty dances a sexy hula and actually displays some cleavage! (That naughty girl...)

So Long, Miss Betty Boop Due to the very strict and conservative "Hays Production Code of 1934", Betty Boop's days were numbered as an adult cartoon star. Her last cartoon appearance was 1939's Yip Yip Yippy.

The Birth of a Very Popular Sailor Man Popeye the Sailor got his start as a character in King Features "Thimble Theatre" comic strip in 1929. Thanks to Popeye's phenomenal success, the strip was renamed "Popeye".

In 1929 the Fleischer Brothers adapted the comic strip to a series of cartoon shorts. The shorts were distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Popeye's first film appearance was alongside Miss Betty Boop herself in 1933's Popeye the Sailor. During the short they dance the sexy hula together (lots of sexy hula dancing going on with the Fleischers).

Another Fleischer Brothers Flagship Character - Popeye the Sailor Man

Voices of the Sailor Man From 1933 to 1935 Popeye's voice was that of William Costello. He was dismissed in 1933 and Jack Mercer took on the reigns of creating Popeye's voice. Later on, Mae Questel would become the voice of both Olive Oyl and Sweat Pea.

The first Popeye cartoon was I Yam What I Yam (1933). Popeye's first technicolor film was Popeye Meets Sinbad the Sailor (1936). This film used multi-plane three dimensional backdrops and was the Fleischer's first Academy Award nomination. (For best short subject, cartoon)

Two very interesting things occurred as a relult of Popeye's growing popularity. First was his theme song, which could possibly be one of the most well known theme songs ever. Secondly, in 1938 Popeye actually achieved greater popularity than Disney behemoth, Mickey Mouse.

In 1980 Robert Altman adapted Popeye to a feature length live action motion picture starring Robin Williams as Popeye and Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl. Despite a strong ensemble cast and one of America's most beloved cartoon characters, the film was not well received either critically or commercially.

The Fleischers, and the Man of Tomorrow Thanks to an agreement with Paramount and DC Comics in the early 40's, the Fleischers produced 17 Superman cartoons. The first film, Superman (1941), actually coined two staple catch phrases - "Look, up in sky!" and "Faster than a speeding bullet." The Fleischers actually produced the first 8 films in the series (up until Japateurs (1942)) and Paramount's "Famous Studios" completed the remaining 9 cartoons.

The first time Superman dons his costume in a phonebooth was in The Mechanical Monsters (1941), one of the most beloved (well known) in the series. In this cartoon Superman battles giant bank robbing robots created by a greedy and unscrupulous scientist.

The Fleischer's Feature Films The Fleischer Brothers produced two feature length cartoons, one which met with some success and one which failed. Gulliver's Travels (1939) was successful in that it achieved two Academy Award nominations, one for best original score (by Victor Young) and one for best song ("Faithful Forever"). Their unsuccessful film Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941) was the first ever feature length musical comedy cartoon.

Due to the financial failure of Mr. Bug Goes to Town, the Fleischer's dissolve and re-structure as Paramount's "Famous Pictures". This new studio produced many cartoons including 24 "Little Lulu" cartoons and 50 "Casper the Friendly Ghost" films.

Walt Disney's "Silly Symphonies" During the 20's feature films were usually preceded by short cartoons. This created a wonderful opportunity for animators to experiment while producing these short animated films!

Disney rose to the challenge by creating an innovative cartoon series called "Silly Symphonies". Eventually imitated by just about every other animation studio, this series of 75 shorts enjoyed a 10 year run (from '29 - '39) and won seven Academy Awards. The films combined cutting edge animation (for their time) with classic musical pieces.

The very first silly symphony was The Skeleton Dance (1929), where skeletons danced through a graveyard at night. At on point near the beginning of the film, a very "Pluto-esque" dog howls at the moon. The music in this piece is of the standard "ooh...spookey" variety for sure.

a Listing of Silly Symphony Films

Title

Release date

The Skeleton Dance

August 22, 1929

El Terrible Toreador

September 7, 1929

Springtime

October 24, 1929

Hell's Bells

November 11, 1929

The Merry Dwarfs

December 16, 1929

Summer

January 6, 1930

Autumn

February 13, 1930

Cannibal Capers

March 13, 1930

Frolicking Fish

May 8, 1930

Arctic Antics

June 5, 1930

Midnight in a Toy Shop

July 3, 1930

Night

July 31, 1930

Monkey Melodies

August 10, 1930

Winter

November 5, 1930

Playful Pan

December 28, 1930

Birds of a Feather

February 10, 1931

Mother Goose Melodies

April 17, 1931

The China Plate

May 25, 1931

The Busy Beavers

June 22, 1931

The Cat's Out

July 28, 1931

Egyptian Melodies

August 21, 1931

The Clock Store

September 30, 1931

The Spider and the Fly

October 16, 1931

The Fox Hunt

November 18, 1931

The Ugly Duckling

December 16, 1931

The Bird Store

January 16, 1932

The Bears and the Bees

July 9, 1932

Just Dogs

July 30, 1932

Flowers and Trees

July 30, 1932

King Neptune

September 10, 1932

Bugs in Love

October 1, 1932

Babes in the Woods

November 19, 1932

Santa's Workshop

December 10, 1932

Birds in the Spring

March 11, 1933

Father Noah's Ark

April 8, 1933

The Three Little Pigs

May 27, 1933

Old King Cole

July 29, 1933

Lullaby Land

August 19, 1933

The Pied Piper

September 16, 1933

The Night Before Christmas

December 9, 1933

The China Shop

January 13, 1934

The Grasshopper and the Ants

February 10, 1934

Funny Little Bunnies

March 24, 1934

The Big Bad Wolf

April 14, 1934

The Wise Little Hen

June 9, 1934

The Flying Mouse

July 14, 1934

Peculiar Penguins

September 1, 1934

The Goddess of Spring

November 3, 1934

The Tortoise and the Hare

January 5, 1935

The Golden Touch

March 22, 1935

The Robber Kitten

April 13, 1935

Water Babies

May 11, 1935

The Cookie Carnival

May 25, 1935

Who Killed Cock Robin?

June 26, 1935

Music Land

October 5, 1935

Three Orphan Kittens

October 26, 1935

Cock o' the Walk

November 30, 1935

Broken Toys

December 14, 1935

Elmer Elephant

March 28, 1936

Three Little Wolves

April 18, 1936

Toby Tortoise Returns

August 22, 1936

Three Blind Mousketeers

September 26, 1936

The Country Cousin

October 31, 1936

Mother Pluto

November 14, 1936

More Kittens

December 19, 1936

Woodland Café

March 13, 1937

Little Hiawatha

May 15, 1937

The Old Mill

November 5, 1937

Moth and the Flame

April 1, 1938

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

May 27, 1938

Farmyard Symphony

October 14, 1938

Merbabies

December 9, 1938

Mother Goose Goes Hollywood

December 23, 1938

The Practical Pig

February 24, 1939

The Ugly Duckling

April 7, 1939

Walt Disney's Other Characters Pluto first appeared in two Mickey Mouse films - the Chain Gang (1930) and The Picnic (1930). Pluto was actually called "Rover". Pluto's first lead role was in Lend a Paw (1942) where he was finally named Pluto. This movie won the Oscar for Best Short Subject: Cartoon.

Goofy made his film debut as an extra in Mickey's Revue (1932). In 1995 Goofy was actually lucky enough to get his own feature film - A Goofie Movie (1995).

Donald Duck, one of Disney's flagship characters, makes his introduction in the Silly Symphony, the Wise Little Hen (1939). Unlike many Disney characters Porky acually has a line in his first film. He says "Who, me? Oh No! I got a belly ache".

The first time Mickey, Goofy and Donald Duck appear together is in Orphan's Benefit (1934). And the first time Donald Duck's main squeeze Daisy Duck appears is in Don Donald (1937). She was originally called "Donna Duck".

Columbia Pictures Columbia's Black and White contribution from 1929 to 1935 was Krazy Kat. Krazy Kat's first actual appearance was 1916's Indroducing Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse. The first "acknowledged" Krazy Kat cartoon was Ratskin (1929). His next film was Canned Music (1929). It's interesting how similar Krazy Kat is to Mickey Mouse.

Terry Toons Paul Terry and Frank Moser founded Terry Toons. They produced cartoons from 1930 until 1935. The movies were distributed by Fox Pictures. The titles for each film always included some sort of a food item.

a Listing of Terry Toons Cartoons

Film

Year

The Big Freeze

(1971)

Kooky Cucumbers

(1971)

Ice Cream for Help

(1971)

No Space Like Home

(1971)

The Duster

(1971)

Big Mo

(1971)

Oscar's Thinking Cap

(1971)

The Enlarger

(1971)

Berry Funny

(1971)

Oscar's Birthday Present

(1971)

Train Terrain

(1971)

The Shocker

(1970)

Slinky Minky

(1970)

The Proton Pulsator

(1970)

The Drifter

(1970)

Swamp Water Taffy

(1970)

Martian Moochers

(1970)

The Ghost Monster

(1970)

Surface Surf Aces

(1970)

Belabour Thy Neighbor

(1970)

Going Ape

(1970)

Land Grab

(1970)

Lost and Foundation

(1970)

The Toy Man

(1969)

Swamp Snapper

(1969)

The Frog

(1969)

Balloon Snatcher

(1969)

Scientific Sideshow

(1969)

The Bold Eagle

(1969)

The Red Swamp Fox

(1969)

The Stretcher

(1969)

Space Pet

(1969)

The General's Little Helper

(1969)

The Ruby Eye of the Monkey-God

(1969)

Mount Piney

(1968)

Loops and Swoops

(1968)

The Rock Hound

(1968)

The Abominable Mountaineers

(1968)

Suprisin' Exercisin'

(1968)

All Teed Off

(1968)

Commander Great Guy

(1968)

Big Bad Bobcat

(1968)

Grand Prix Winner

(1968)

Big Game Fishing

(1968)

Dribble Drabble

(1968)

Sally Sargent

(1967)

Baron Von Go-Go

(1967)

Judo Kudos

(1967)

Frozen Sparklers

(1967)

Bugged by a Bug

(1967)

Fancy Plants

(1967)

Mr. Winlucky

(1967)

Traffic Trouble

(1967)

Dr. Rhinestone's Theory

(1967)

Which Is Witch?

(1967)

Give Me Liberty

(1967)

A Voodoo Spell

(1967)

It's for the Birds

(1967)

The Heat's Off

(1967)

The Phantom Skyscraper

(1966)

Dreamnapping

(1966)

Watch the Butterfly

(1966)

Mighty Heroes

(1966)

The Rain Drain

(1966)

The Monster Master

(1966)

Cowardly Watchdog

(1966)

Scuba Duba Do

(1966)

Messed Up Movie Makers

(1966)

Haunted Housecleaning

(1966)

Champion Chump

(1966)

Dr. Ha-Ha

(1966)

Gems from Gemini

(1966)

The Toothless Beaver

(1965)

The Third Musketeer

(1965)

Twinkle Twinkle Little Telestar

(1965)

Git That Guitar

(1965)

Robots in Toyland

(1965)

The Astronut Show

(1965)

Dress Reversal

(1965)

Darn Barn

(1965)

Weather Magic

(1965)

Don't Spill the Beans

(1965)

Freight Fright

(1965)

Gadmouse the Apprentice Good Fairy

(1965)

The Sky's the Limit

(1965)

Molecular Mixup

(1964)

Outer Galaxy Gazette

(1964)

Adventure by the Sea

(1964)

The Reformed Wolf

(1964)

Kisser Plant

(1964)

Brother from Outer Space

(1964)

The Red Tractor

(1964)

Oil Thru the Day

(1964)

Roc-a-Bye Sinbad

(1964)

Search for Misery

(1964)

Short-Term Sheriff

(1964)

The Gold Dust Bandit

(1964)

King Rounder

(1963)

Spooky-Yaki

(1963)

Split-Level Treehouse

(1963)

The Hector Heathcote Show

(1963)

Trouble in Baghdad

(1963)

Driven to Extraction

(1963)

The Missing Genie

(1963)

Cherry Blossom Festival

(1963)

Sidney's White Elephant

(1963)

A Bell for Philadelphia

(1963)

Astronut

(1963)

Pearl Crazy

(1963)

Tea House Mouse

(1963)

Tea Party

(1963)

The Big Clean-Up

(1963)

To Be or Not to Be

(1962)

The Fleet's Out

(1962)

Honorable Paint in the Neck

(1962)

Send Your Elephant to Camp

(1962)

Loyal Royalty

(1962)

Peanut Battle

(1962)

Honorable Family Problem

(1962)

A Flight to the Finish

(1962)

Big Chief No Treaty

(1962)

First Flight Up

(1962)

He-Man Seaman

(1962)

Home Life

(1962)

Klondike Strikes Out

(1962)

Nobody's Ghoul

(1962)

Rebel Trouble

(1962)

Riverboat Mission

(1962)

Shotgun Shambles

(1962)

Where There's Smoke

(1962)

Cat Alarm

(1961)

Sappy New Year

(1961)

Strange Companion

(1961)

Son of Hashimoto

(1961)

Banana Binge

(1961)

Clown Jewels

(1961)

Crossing the Deleware

(1961)

Drum Roll

(1961)

Honorable Cat Story

(1961)

Meat, Drink, and Be Merry

(1961)

Night Life in Tokyo

(1961)

Railroaded to Fame

(1961)

Really Big Act

(1961)

So Sorry, Pussycat

(1961)

The First Fast Mail

(1961)

Tree Spree

(1961)

Unsung Hero

(1961)

The Mysterious Package

(1960)

House of Hashimoto

(1960)

Stunt Men

(1960)

Tin Pan Alley Cat

(1960)

Deep Sea Doodle

(1960)

Two-Ton Baby Sitter

(1960)

The Littlest Bully

(1960)

The Wayward Hat

(1960)

Hearts and Glowers

(1960)

Mint Men

(1960)

Trapeze Pleeze

(1960)

Thousand Smile Check-Up

(1960)

Tusk, Tusk

(1960)

Aesop's Fable: The Tiger King

(1960)

Foofles Picnic

(1960)

The Misunderstood Giant

(1960)

Daniel Boone, Jr.

(1960)

The Famous Ride

(1960)

The Leaky Faucet

(1959)

Hide and Go Sidney

(1959)

Outer Space Visitor

(1959)

Wild Life

(1959)

Hashimoto-San

(1959)

The Deputy Dawg Show

(1959)

The Fabulous Firework Family

(1959)

The Minute and a ½ Man

(1959)

Gaston's Mama Lisa

(1959)

Foofle's Train Ride

(1959)

Another Day, Another Doormat

(1959)

The Flamboyant Arms

(1959)

The Tale of a Dog

(1959)

Clobber's Ballet Ache

(1959)

Sidney's Family Tree

(1958)

Signed, Sealed, and Clobbered

(1958)

Gaston's Easel Life

(1958)

Old Mother Clobber

(1958)

Camp Clobber

(1958)

Dustcap Doormat

(1958)

Sick, Sick Sidney

(1958)

Gaston, Go Home

(1958)

Springtime for Clobber

(1958)

The Juggler of Our Lady

(1958)

Gaston's Baby

(1958)

It's a Living

(1957)

Squirrel Crazy

(1957)

Flebus

(1957)

Clint Clobber's Cat

(1957)

Shove Thy Neighbor

(1957)

Gaston Is Here

(1957)

Love Is Blind

(1957)

Daddy's Little Darling

(1957)

The Bone Ranger

(1957)

A Bum Steer

(1957)

African Jungle Hunt

(1957)

A Hare-Breadth Finish

(1957)

Gag Buster

(1957)

Depth Study

(1957)

Tom Terrific

(1957)

Topsy TV

(1957)

The Heckle and Jeckle Show

(1956)

Pirate's Gold

(1956)

Cloak and Stagger

(1956)

The Brave Little Brave

(1956)

Police Dogged

(1956)

Lucky Dog

(1956)

Oceans of Love

(1956)

Hep Mother Hubbard

(1956)

Scouts to the Rescue

(1956)

Uranium Blues

(1956)

Park Avenue Pussycat

(1956)

The Clockmaker's Dog

(1956)

Baffling Bunnies

(1955)

The Mighty Mouse Playhouse

(1955)

Miami Maniacs

(1955)

Foxed by a Fox

(1955)

Little Red Hen

(1955)

Phony News Flashes

(1955)

The Last Mouse of Hamelin

(1955)

Bird Symphony

(1955)

Good Deed Daly

(1955)

An Igloo for Two

(1955)

Aesop's Fable: First Flying Fish

(1955)

No Sleep for Percy

(1955)

Duck Fever

(1955)

Barnyard Actor

(1955)

A Yokohama Yankee

(1955)

Blue Plate Symphony

(1954)

Pride of the Yard

(1954)

The Tall Tale Teller

(1954)

The Cat's Revenge

(1954)

A Howling Success

(1954)

Arctic Rivals

(1954)

Nonsense Newsreel

(1954)

Satisfied Customers

(1954)

Prescription for Percy

(1954)

Pet Problems

(1954)

The Helpless Hippo

(1953)

Blind Date

(1953)

How to Relax

(1953)

Runaway Mouse

(1953)

Growing Pains

(1953)

Spare the Rod

(1953)

Log Rollers

(1953)

The Timid Scarecrow

(1953)

How to Keep Cool

(1953)

Mouse Menace

(1953)

Sparky the Firefly

(1953)

Bargain Daze

(1953)

The Reluctant Pup

(1953)

Open House

(1953)

When Mousehood Was in Flower

(1953)

Hot Rods

(1953)

Friday the 13th

(1953)

The Orphan Egg

(1953)

Ten Pin Terrors

(1953)

Plumber's Helpers

(1953)

Playful Puss

(1953)

Featherweight Champ

(1953)

Wise Quacks

(1953)

Pill Peddlers

(1952)

Mouse Meets Bird

(1952)

Snappy Snapshots

(1952)

Hair Cut-Ups

(1952)

Thrifty Cubs

(1952)

Happy Valley

(1952)

A Soapy Opera

(1952)

Picnic with Papa

(1952)

Sink or Swim

(1952)

Moose on the Loose

(1952)

Happy Holland

(1952)

Nice Doggy

(1952)

Good Mousekeeping

(1952)

Mysterious Cowboy

(1952)

House Busters

(1952)

The Foolish Duckling

(1952)

Little Anglers

(1952)

Flipper Frolics

(1952)

Hansel and Gretel

(1952)

Hypnotized

(1952)

Hero for a Day

(1952)

The Happy Cobblers

(1952)

Off to the Opera

(1952)

Fuss and Feathers

(1952)

Time Gallops On

(1952)

Flat Foot Fledgling

(1952)

City Slicker

(1951)

Prehistoric Perils

(1951)

Seaside Adventures

(1951)

Papa's Day of Rest

(1951)

Mechanical Bird

(1951)

Movie Madness

(1951)

Papa's Little Helpers

(1951)

The Haunted Cat

(1951)

Flop Secret

(1951)

Beaver Trouble

(1951)

The Cat's Tale

(1951)

'Sno Fun

(1951)

The Helpful Geni

(1951)

Pastry Panic

(1951)

Little Problem

(1951)

Steeple Jacks

(1951)

A Swiss Miss

(1951)

Aesop's Fable: Golden Egg Goosie

(1951)

Tall Timber Tale

(1951)

Seasick Sailors

(1951)

Injun Trouble

(1951)

The Rainmakers

(1951)

The Elephant Mouse

(1951)

Musical Madness

(1951)

Goons from the Moon

(1951)

Spring Fever

(1951)

Bulldozing the Bull

(1951)

Songs of Erin

(1951)

Sunny Italy

(1950)

Woodman, Spare That Tree

(1950)

Stage Struck

(1950)

Three Is a Crowd

(1950)

Sour Grapes

(1950)

Rival Romeos

(1950)

Wide Open Spaces

(1950)

Mother Goose's Birthday Party

(1950)

King Tut's Tomb

(1950)

If Cats Could Sing

(1950)

Mouse and Garden

(1950)

Cat Happy

(1950)

All This and Rabbit Stew

(1950)

Beauty on the Beach

(1950)

The Red-Headed Monkey

(1950)

Law and Order

(1950)

Dream Walking

(1950)

The Dog Show

(1950)

Anti-Cats

(1950)

The Beauty Shop

(1950)

Better Late Than Never

(1950)

Aesop's Fable: Foiling the Fox

(1950)

A Merry Chase

(1950)

The Fox Hunt

(1950)

Little Roquefort

(1950)

Comic Book Land

(1949)

Flying Cups and Saucers

(1949)

Stop, Look, and Listen

(1949)

Paint Pot Symphony

(1949)

Dancing Shoes

(1949)

The Perils of Pearl Pureheart

(1949)

A Truckload of Trouble

(1949)

Mrs. Jones' Rest Farm

(1949)

The Covered Pushcart

(1949)

The Stowaways

(1949)

Hula Hula Land

(1949)

A Cold Romance

(1949)

Happy Landing

(1949)

The Catnip Gang

(1949)

The Kitten Sitter

(1949)

The Lyin' Lion

(1949)

Dingbat Land

(1949)

The Lion Hunt

(1949)

The Power of Thought

(1948)

The Wooden Indian

(1948)

The Racket Buster

(1948)

Mysterious Stranger

(1948)

The Magic Slipper

(1948)

Gooney Golfers

(1948)

Magpie Madness

(1948)

Out Again, in Again

(1948)

Loves Labor Won

(1948)

Triple Trouble

(1948)

The Hard Boiled Egg

(1948)

The Witch's Cat

(1948)

A Sleepless Night

(1948)

Seeing Ghosts

(1948)

Mystery in the Moonlight

(1948)

Hounding the Hares

(1948)

The Feudin' Hillbillies

(1948)

Taming the Cat

(1948)

Felix the Fox

(1948)

The Chipper Chipmunk

(1948)

Mighty Mouse and the Magician

(1948)

Free Enterprise

(1948)

Lazy Little Beaver

(1947)

Swiss Cheese Family Robinson

(1947)

The Hitch Hikers

(1947)

The Wolf's Pardon

(1947)

A Fight to the Finish

(1947)

The Super Salesman

(1947)

One Note Tony

(1947)

Mighty Mouse in the First Snow

(1947)

The First Show

(1947)

Fishing by the Sea

(1947)

A Date for Dinner

(1947)

Flying South

(1947)

Mighty Mouse Meets Deadeye Dick

(1947)

The Intruders

(1947)

The Sky Is Falling

(1947)

Cat Trouble

(1947)

Aladdin's Lamp

(1947)

Mexican Baseball

(1947)

Happy Go Lucky

(1947)

The Dead End Cats

(1947)

McDougal's Rest Farm

(1947)

Crying Wolf

(1947)

Beanstalk Jack

(1946)

The Hep Cat

(1946)

The Uninvited Pests

(1946)

The Crackpot King

(1946)

The Housing Problem

(1946)

The Snow Man

(1946)

The Jail Break

(1946)

The Electronic Mouse Trap

(1946)

The Tortoise Wins Again

(1946)

Winning the West

(1946)

Mighty Mouse in the Trojan Horse

(1946)

Peace Time Football

(1946)

The Johnstown Flood

(1946)

Dinky Finds a Home

(1946)

The Golden Hen

(1946)

Throwing the Bull

(1946)

My Old Kentucky Home

(1946)

The Wicked Wolf

(1946)

Fortune Hunters

(1946)

Svengali's Cat

(1946)

The Talking Magpies

(1946)

Mighty Mouse in Krakatoa

(1945)

The Exterminator

(1945)

Bad Bill Bunion

(1945)

Who's Who in the Jungle

(1945)

The Watchdog

(1945)

Swooning the Swooners

(1945)

The Fox and the Duck

(1945)

Mighty Mouse in Gypsy Life

(1945)

Mighty Mouse and the Wolf

(1945)

The Silver Streak

(1945)

The Mosquito

(1945)

Smoky Joe

(1945)

Mother Goose Nightmare

(1945)

Mighty Mouse and the Kilkenny Cats

(1945)

It's All in the Stars

(1945)

Fisherman's Luck

(1945)

Post War Inventions

(1945)

Raiding the Raiders

(1945)

Ants in Your Pantry

(1945)

The Port of Missing Mice

(1945)

Mighty Mouse and the Pirates

(1945)

Dear Old Switzerland

(1944)

Gandy's Dream Girl

(1944)

At the Circus

(1944)

A Wolf's Tale

(1944)

The Sultan's Birthday

(1944)

The Ghost Town

(1944)

The Two Barbers

(1944)

The Cat Came Back

(1944)

Carmen's Veranda

(1944)

The Green Line

(1944)

Wolf! Wolf!

(1944)

'Eliza on the Ice'

(1944)

My Boy Johnny

(1944)

Mighty Mouse Meets Jekyll and Hyde Cat

(1944)

The Frog and the Princess

(1944)

The Champion of Justice

(1944)

A Day in June

(1944)

The Wreck of the Hesperus

(1944)

The Helicopter

(1944)

The Butcher of Seville

(1944)

The Hopeful Donkey

(1943)

Yokel Ducks Makes Good

(1943)

Lion and the Mouse

(1943)

Aladdin's Lamp

(1943)

Down with Cats

(1943)

Somewhere in Egypt

(1943)

Camouflage

(1943)

Super Mouse Rides Again

(1943)

Mopping Up

(1943)

Pandora's Box

(1943)

Keep 'Em Growing

(1943)

The Last Roundup

(1943)

Barnyard Blackout

(1943)

He Dood It Again

(1943)

Scrap for Victory

(1943)

Somewhere in the Pacific

(1943)

Barnyard Waac

(1942)

Frankenstein's Cat

(1942)

Ickle Meets Pickle

(1942)

Doing Their Bit

(1942)

Nancy's Little Theater

(1942)

The Mouse of Tomorrow

(1942)

Night Life in the Army

(1942)

School Daze

(1942)

The Big Build-Up

(1942)

Life with Fido

(1942)

All About 'V'

(1942)

Tire Trouble

(1942)

The Outpost

(1942)

Wilful Willie

(1942)

All About Dogs

(1942)

The Stork's Mistake

(1942)

Neck and Neck

(1942)

Tricky Business

(1942)

Lights Out

(1942)

The Night

(1942)

Patriotic Pooches

(1942)

Oh, Gentle Spring

(1942)

Sham Battle Shenanigans

(1942)

Shipyard Symphony

(1942)

Eat Me Kitty, Eight to the Bar

(1942)

Cat Meets Mouse

(1942)

Funny Bunny Business

(1942)

Happy Circus Days

(1942)

A Torrid Toreador

(1942)

All Out for 'V'

(1942)

Flying Fever

(1941)

A Yarn About Yarn

(1941)

The Bird Tower

(1941)

Back to the Soil

(1941)

Slap Happy Hunters

(1941)

The Frozen North

(1941)

Welcome Home Stranger

(1941)

Uncle Joey Comes to Town

(1941)

The One-Man Navy

(1941)

Ice Carnival

(1941)

The Old Oaken Bucket

(1941)

Twelve O'Clock and All Ain't Well

(1941)

Bringing Home the Bacon

(1941)

Good Old Irish Tunes

(1941)

Horsefly Opera

(1941)

The Magic Shell

(1941)

A Dog's Dream

(1941)

Uncle Joey

(1941)

When Knights Were Bold

(1941)

The Home Guard

(1941)

Fishing Made Easy

(1941)

Hairless Hector

(1941)

What a Little Sneeze Will Do

(1941)

The Snow Man

(1940)

The Magic Pencil

(1940)

Plane Goofy

(1940)

Happy Hunting Grounds

(1940)

How Wet Was My Ocean

(1940)

Touchdown Demons

(1940)

Lucky Ducky

(1940)

Club Life in the Stone Age

(1940)

Love in a Cottage

(1940)

Rupert the Runt

(1940)

Rover's Rescue

(1940)

Professor Offkeyski

(1940)

Catnip Capers

(1940)

Swiss Ski Yodelers

(1940)

Wots All th' Shootin' fer?

(1940)

Just a Little Bull

(1940)

It Must Be Love

(1940)

The Baby Seal

(1940)

Much Ado About Nothing

(1940)

All's Well That Ends Well

(1940)

Hare and the Hounds

(1940)

Harvest Time

(1940)

Edgar Runs Again

(1940)

A Dog in a Mansion

(1940)

The First Robin

(1939)

The Tempermental Lion

(1939)

The Ice Pond

(1939)

The Hitch-Hiker

(1939)

A Wicky, Wacky Romance

(1939)

One Mouse in a Million

(1939)

Landing of the Pilgrims

(1939)

The Watchdog

(1939)

Sheep in the Meadow

(1939)

Hook, Line and Sinker

(1939)

The Golden West

(1939)

Two-Headed Giant

(1939)

Billy Mouse's Akwakade

(1939)

The Old Fire Horse

(1939)

Barnyard Baseball

(1939)

Africa Squawks

(1939)

A Bully Romance

(1939)

The Prize Guest

(1939)

What Happens at Night

(1939)

Nick's Coffee Pot

(1939)

Barnyard Egg-citement

(1939)

Their Last Bean

(1939)

The Cuckoo Bird

(1939)

The Nutty Network

(1939)

G-Man Jitters

(1939)

Frozen Feet

(1939)

The Three Bears

(1939)

Mississippi Swing

(1939)

The Owl and the Pussycat

(1939)

Nick of Time

(1939)

The Orphan Duck

(1939)

The Frame-Up

(1938)

Doomsday

(1938)

Village Blacksmith

(1938)

Housewife Herman

(1938)

The Stranger Rides Again

(1938)

The Newcomer

(1938)

The Glass Slipper

(1938)

The Wolf's Side of the Story

(1938)

The Goose Flies High

(1938)

String Bean Jack

(1938)

Chris Columbo

(1938)

Eliza Runs Again

(1938)

Mrs. O'Leary's Cow

(1938)

Milk for Baby

(1938)

The Last Indian

(1938)

Here's to the Good Old Jail

(1938)

Devil of the Deep

(1938)

The Big Top

(1938)

Maid in China

(1938)

Robinson Crusoe's Broadcast

(1938)

A Mountain Romance

(1938)

Happy and Lucky

(1938)

Gandy the Goose

(1938)

Just Ask Jupiter

(1938)

His Day Off

(1938)

The Lion Hunt

(1938)

Barnyard Boss

(1937)

The Billy Goat's Whiskers

(1937)

The Timid Rabbit

(1937)

The Dog and the Bone

(1937)

The Saw Mill Mystery

(1937)

The Dancing Bear

(1937)

A Close Shave

(1937)

A Bully Frog

(1937)

The Cleaning Day

(1937)

The Villain Still Pursued Her

(1937)

Trailer Life

(1937)

The Paper Hangers

(1937)

The Homeless Pup

(1937)

Pink Elephants

(1937)

The Mechanical Cow

(1937)

Play Ball

(1937)

Ozzie Ostritch Comes to Town

(1937)

Puddy's Coronation

(1937)

School Birds

(1937)

Bug Carnival

(1937)

The Hay Ride

(1937)

Flying South

(1937)

Red Hot Music

(1937)

The Big Game Haunt

(1937)

The Book Shop

(1937)

The Tin Can Tourist

(1937)

Bugs Beetle and His Orchestra

(1937)

Salty McGuire

(1937)

Skunked Again

(1936)

Cats in a Bag

(1936)

Farmer Al Falfa's 20th Anniversary

(1936)

An Arrow Escape

(1936)

A Battle Royal

(1936)

Sunken Treasures

(1936)

Kiko Foils the Fox

(1936)

The Health Farm

(1936)

Kiko and the Honey Bears

(1936)

Farmer Al Falfa's Prize Package

(1936)

Kiko the Kangaroo

(1936)

Puddy Pup and the Gypsies

(1936)

The Hot Spell

(1936)

A Tough Egg

(1936)

The Sailor's Home

(1936)

The Busy Bee

(1936)

Rolling Stones

(1936)

A Wolf in Cheap Clothing

(1936)

The Western Trail

(1936)

Off to China

(1936)

Barnyard Amateurs

(1936)

Home Town Olympics

(1936)

Alpine Yodeler

(1936)

The 19th Hole Club

(1936)

The Feud

(1936)

The Mayflower

(1935)

Ye Olde Toy Shop

(1935)

Southern Horse-pitality

(1935)

Aladdin's Lamp

(1935)

A June Bride

(1935)

Football

(1935)

Foiled Again

(1935)

Hey Diddle Diddle

(1935)

Circus Days

(1935)

Birdland

(1935)

Chain Letters

(1935)

The Foxy-Fox

(1935)

Amateur Night

(1935)

Moans and Groans

(1935)

King Looney XIV

(1935)

Opera Night

(1935)

A Modern Red Riding Hood

(1935)

The Runt

(1935)

Five Puplets

(1935)

Flying Oil

(1935)

Old Dog Tray

(1935)

The Moth and the Spider

(1935)

Fireman, Save My Child

(1935)

Peg Leg Pete, the Pirate

(1935)

The Bull Fight

(1935)

What a Night

(1935)

The First Snow

(1935)

The Dog Show

(1934)

South Pole or Bust

(1934)

Jack's Shack

(1934)

Tom, Tom the Piper's Son

(1934)

Hot Sands

(1934)

The Magic Fish

(1934)

The Black Sheep

(1934)

Jail Birds

(1934)

Why Mules Leave Home

(1934)

Mice in Council

(1934)

Busted Blossoms

(1934)

Irish Sweepstakes

(1934)

My Lady's Garden

(1934)

See the World

(1934)

Slow But Sure

(1934)

Pandora

(1934)

The Lion's Friend

(1934)

The King's Daughter

(1934)

Just a Clown

(1934)

Joe's Lunch Wagon

(1934)

A Mad House

(1934)

The Owl and the Pussycat

(1934)

The Last Straw

(1934)

Rip Van Winkle

(1934)

The Three Bears

(1934)

Holland Days

(1934)

The Sunny South

(1933)

In Venice

(1933)

Little Boy Blue

(1933)

Robinson Crusoe

(1933)

The Village Blacksmith

(1933)

Beanstalk Jack

(1933)

A Gypsy Fiddler

(1933)

Fanny's Wedding Day

(1933)

Pick-necking

(1933)

Grand Uproar

(1933)

Hypnotic Eyes

(1933)

Fanny in the Lion's Den

(1933)

The Old Can Mystery

(1933)

The Banker's Daughter

(1933)

King Zilch

(1933)

Cinderella

(1933)

Tropical Fish

(1933)

Pirate Ship

(1933)

Romeo and Juliet

(1933)

Oh! Susanna

(1933)

Who Killed Cock-Robin

(1933)

Down on the Levee

(1933)

The Tale of a Shirt

(1933)

Hansel and Gretel

(1933)

Robin Hood

(1933)

Jealous Lover

(1933)

Ireland or Bust

(1932)

Hollywood Diet

(1932)

Toyland

(1932)

The Forty Theves

(1932)

Hook and Ladder No. 1

(1932)

College Spirit

(1932)

Farmer Al Falfa's Birthday Party

(1932)

Southern Rhythm

(1932)

Burlesque

(1932)

Sherman Was Right

(1932)

Farmer Al Falfa's Ape Girl

(1932)

Spring Is Here

(1932)

Cocky Cock Roach

(1932)

The Mad King

(1932)

Bluebeard's Brother

(1932)

Farmer Al Falfa's Bedtime Story

(1932)

Romance

(1932)

Woodland

(1932)

Radio Girl

(1932)

Bull-ero

(1932)

Ye Olde Songs

(1932)

Play Ball

(1932)

Peg Leg Pete

(1932)

The Spider Talks

(1932)

Noah's Outing

(1932)

The Villain's Curse

(1932)

Aladdin's Lamp

(1931)

Summer Time

(1931)

The Lorelei

(1931)

China

(1931)

The Black Spider

(1931)

Jingle Bells

(1931)

Around the World

(1931)

The Champ

(1931)

Jesse and James

(1931)

Canadian Capers

(1931)

Jazz Mad

(1931)

Her First Egg

(1931)

By the Sea

(1931)

Blues

(1931)

2000 B.C.

(1931)

'Neath the Bababa Tree

(1931)

Put on the Spout

(1931)

A Day to Live

(1931)

The Sultan's Cat

(1931)

The Fireman's Bride

(1931)

Sing, Sing Song

(1931)

Clowning

(1931)

The Explorer

(1931)

Quack, Quack

(1931)

Go West, Big Boy

(1931)

Club Sandwich

(1931)

Popcorn

(1931)

Razzberries

(1931)

Pigskin Capers

(1930)

Golf Nuts

(1930)

Salt Water Taffy

(1930)

Scotch Highball

(1930)

Jumping Beans

(1930)

Fried Chicken

(1930)

Irish Stew

(1930)

Dutch Treat

(1930)

French Fried

(1930)

Chop Suey

(1930)

Monkey Meat

(1930)

Kangaroo Steak

(1930)

Bully Beef

(1930)

Hungarian Goulash

(1930)

Codfish Balls

(1930)

Swiss Cheese

(1930)

Hawaiian Pineapples

(1930)

Roman Punch

(1930)

Indian Pudding

(1930)

Pretzels

(1930)

Spanish Onions

(1930)

Hot Turkey

(1930)

Caviar

1930)

One of Terry Toons' most popular chartoon characters was Mighty Mouse. Mighty Mouse was a "Superman-esque" superhero mouse. The early prototypical version of Mighty Mouse appeared in The Mouse of Tomorrow (1942). The first film where he was 100% Mighty Mouse was The Champion of Justice (1944). In this first official movie, Mighty Mouse was complete with his classic red cape and yellow costume. Even more classic was his extremely well known and loved "Here I come to save the day!" affirmation theme song.

From 1955 to 1966 CBS Television featured Mighty Mouse in "Mighty Mouse Playhouse". This cartoon series has the honor of being the very first Saturday morning cartoon ever.

Terry Toons is also responsible for another pair of classic cartoon characters. Heckle and Jeckle made their first appearance in 1946's The Flying Magpies.

Warner Brothers From 1929 to 1944 Leon Schlesinger was a cartoon producer for Warner Brothers. He produced Bosko the Talkink Kid (1929), the first cartoon created with synchronized dialogue. In this film Bosko is a little boy who bears a striking resemblance to Disney's Micky Mouse, Lantz's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Columbia's Krazy Kat. Drawn by Disney ex-animators Hugh Harmon and Rudolph Ising, Bosko returns to the inkwell at the end after saying, "So long, folks!" This utterance inspired Warner's classic cartoon ending, "That's all folks!"

Looney Tunes & Merry Melodies With the success of Disney's Silly Symphonies cartoon series, Warner Brothers responded with Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies. Often mispelled as "Looney Toons" (which would have been just as clever, actually) the first short in the series was Sinkin' in the Bathtub (1930).

Hugh Harman & Rudolph Ising In 1933 animators Hugh Harmon and Rudolph Ising left Warner Brothers to work for MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer). They also took their character Bosko with them. With Disney's Silly Symphonies and Warner Brothers' Merry Melodies, MGM creates "Happy Harmonies". (I'm seeing a pattern here...) By 1938 they created 36 shorts in the series.

a Listing of Happy Harmonies Films

The Discontented Canary (1934)

The Old Pioneer (1934)

Tale of the Vienna Woods (1934)

Bosko's Parlor Pranks (1934)

Toyland Broadcast (1934)

Hey-Hey Fever (1935)

When the Cat's Away (1935)

The Lost Chick (1935)

The Calico Dragon (1935)

Good Little Monkeys (1935)

The Chinese Nightingale (1935)

Poor Little Me (1935)

Barnyard Babies (Last "Coffee the Lion" film) (1935)

The Old Plantation (first "Tanner the Lion" feature) (1935)

Honeyland (1935)

Alias St. Nick (1935)

Run, Sheep, Run (1935)

Bottles (1936)

The Early Bird and the Worm (1936)

The Old Mill Pond (1936)

Two Little Pups (1936)

The Old House (1936)

The Pups' Picnic (1936)

To Spring (1936)

Little Cheeser (1936)

The Pups' Christmas (1936)

Circus Daze (1937)

Swing Wedding - Abridged version - Hot Frogs. (1937)

Bosko's Easter Eggs (1937)

Little Ol' Bosko and the Pirates (1937)

The Hound and the Rabbit (1937)

The Wayward Pups (1937)

Little Ol' Bosko and the Cannibals (1937)

Little Ol' Bosko in Bagdad (1938)

Pipe Dreams (1938)

The Little Bantamweight (1938)

Fred "Tex" Avery From 1935 until the 1940's Warner Brothers appointed Tex Avery as their Director of Animation. He was recruited by Walter Lantz. The first cartoon produced under Avery's directorship was Gold Diggers of '49 (1935) starring Porky Pig. Avery's films are known for pushing the taste envelope.

World class animators who worked with Tex are Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones and Isadore "Friz" Freleng. Friz Freling is directly responsible for two of Warner Brothers' most beloved cartoon personalities, Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny. Can anyone possibly forget the of the most memorable cartoon catch-phrases ever uttered - "Eh...What's Up Doc?"

Carl W. Stalling One of the greatest features of Warner Brothers films was the music, particularly with the Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies films. We can thank Carl W. Stalling, Warner Brothers' Musical Director for that wonderful cartoon music. Of particular "note" (yes, pun very much intended, sorry...) are Looney Tunes anthem, "The Merry-go-Round Broke Down" and the Merry Melodies theme, "Merrily We Roll Along".

Bugs, Daffy & Porky In 1937, and with Tex Avery at the helm, Warner Brothers developed the first in a series of "flagship" cartoon characters. The first of these beloved characters was Daffy Duck who first appears in Porky's Duck Heart (1937). The first film where Daffy receives his name is Daffy Duck and Egghead (1938). Daffy, who's named after Dizzy Dean's brother, Daffy Dean, appears in this color film alongside Egghead, an early version of Elmer Fudd.

Arguably Warner Brothers' most famous cartoon character ever is Bugs Bunny. Bugs got his start (as a prototypical version, of course) in Porky's Hare Hunt (1938). This same early version of Bugs was nominated for an Oscar in A Wild Hare (1940). This film is also the first use of Bugs' super famous catchphrase, "Eh...What's Up, Doc?" Despite the ever famous catchphrase, Bugs was not actually called "Bugs Bunny" until Elmer's Pet Rabbit (1941). Also being the first partnership of Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, this was the first time Elmer speaks in his beloved "wabbit" voice.

Speaking of voices, Mel Blank was the voice for all of Warner Brothers' classic characters. It's quite an accomplishment and responsibility as so many of us literally grew up watching and falling in love with these awsome cartoon characters.

Bob Clampett One of Warner Brothers' early animator/directors was a man named Bob Clampett. Helping to create Porky Pig and Bugs Bunny, his first Warner Brothers screen credit was in Shake Your Powder Puff (1934). Bob's largest accomplishment with Warner Brothers was the creating of Tweety, another flagship character for Warner Brothers. Tweety's first appearance (as a flesh colored bird named Orson) was A Tale of Two Kitties (1942).

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